Finland is no stranger to cultural fusions. Russia, Sweden and Germany have all made their political incursions over the centuries, just about everyone has dropped by for a visit at one time or another. So it stands to reason that this linguistically isolated country would absorb a lot of music as it passed by. Balkan music is one of the things that seems to really stick, and the 1970s and 80s found dozens of Finns adopting the sound, from Slobo Horo's high energy Balkan pop to Piirpauke's jazz interpretations. Maria Kalaniemi has a fondness for it in her repetoire. Others have found it ripe for musical satire.

Then there is band leader and vocalist Jaakko Laitinen, from the northern city of Rovaniemi in Lapland. With his band of horns, bouzouki, accordion, bass and percussion called Väärä Raha, the influences fly fast and loose on a series of original songs that bounce from wistful romance to dire insanity. You'll hear classic Balkan brass, the hyper-foxtrot of the Finnish huumpa, Russian balladry, and the rigid tango that has made summer nights in Finland famous.

The key to their latest recording, Näennäinen, however, lies as much in the lyrics as the musical hybrids they are delivered on. And for that, the usual auto-translations were never going to delve deep enough into the interesting poetry that Laitinen lays out. Sadly, there's no translations in the notes to this Finnish release, but the author was kind enough to do some for me.

"Supermarketin parkkipaikalla" is a standout musically and lyrically in its satirical look at consumerism as apocalypso.

The hopeful family gets out of the station wagon
The mum is following as the father moves confidently like a king.
In the supermarket parking lot
There is a crowd and a buzz.
In the supermarket parking lot
You can hear the shackles clinging,
That's death rattle of our society.

In its twelve tracks, Näennäinen tackles the mythical underwater beasts of our genetic forefathers, tells epic love stories, confronts mortality, offers tales of wanderers in Lapland, and generally delves into the cosmos around us, all delivered by a high energy band and a passionate singer. - CF